IN MARKET GROWING DEMAND PUTTING MERINO ON HIGH-END MENUS The team behind the historic “It’s important to keep a short supply Championing the Merino Haddon Rig Merino stud has chain that’s as close to us as possible, Charlie said the goal was to differentiate partnered with MLA Donor to enable us to control the quality and the Merino breed in the minds of chefs, Company’s Producer Innovation simplify the logistics of getting our butchers and consumers. Fast-Track program to test a product to market,” Charlie said. “We’ve specifically chosen to use high-value Merino meat strategy. “So far, we’re dry ageing Merino lambs ‘Merino’ in the brand to differentiate and hoggets, but we also intend to from other lamb and use it as an After 12 months of product and brand dry-age mutton. education leverage point,” he said. development, the ‘Haddon Rig Merino’ meat brand launched in October 2018. “Customer-driven demand is key and so “We want to make Merino the Angus or we’ve been working with chefs directly Wagyu of the sheep game, so people Managing Director George Falkiner to try and create something they want. recognise it and know it stands for said the brand was created to provide We were already producing a delicious consistent eating quality. an alternative, value-added market for product but found dry ageing improved Merino sheep, particularly older animals.the flavour profile and tenderness, “Our hope is this project will have flow-on “A few things combined to convince us especially with hogget and mutton,” benefits to our stud clients to encourage the time was right to create a Merino he said. them to get more out of their genetics by brand,” George said. thinking about finishing Merinos, rather “Initially, we dry aged some lamb for than just selling sucker lambs.” ■ “We saw some MLA research on five weeks, then hosted an event at eating quality traits of Merino versus Porteno with 50 chefs to try it. We put Charlie Blomfield other breeds, with Merino comparing it up against some of our fresh lamb E: charlie@haddon-rig.com.au favourably. We know our Merino tastes and they all preferred the dry aged. raremediummag.com/#5-paddock- good but the research quantified that. That’s when we thought we were on story to something and we’ve been learning “We’d also started intensifying our ever since.” production systems by installing centre pivots and a 2,400-head lamb feedlot, On the fast track initially as a drought-proofing tool and The Producer Innovation Fast-Track also to take advantage of the strong pilot program was an initiative lamb market and resurgent Merino developed by MLA Donor Company wool industry. (MDC) to enable producers to be actively involved in driving the “And finally, I went to New Zealand last innovation agenda. year and saw how they are successfully marketing Merino brands in high-end The program identified industry restaurants and thought it could be trailblazers and gave them the support something we could try at home.” and expertise required to build their Managing the supply chain innovation capability. Haddon Rig is located at Warren, about MLA’s Producer Innovation 120km north-west of Dubbo, in central Partnerships Manager, Renelle west NSW. Jeffrey, said Haddon Rig’s project appealed to the MDC because Sheep are processed at Fletcher of its potential to add value International’s Dubbo abattoir before to a traditionally low-value, the carcases are dry aged for three commodity sheepmeat. to five weeks at Dubbo Meat Centre, broken down into a six-way cut – “Haddon Rig were keen to forequarters, legs and saddle cut in explore new opportunities half – packed and distributed direct to for commodity sheepmeat, the customer. as they presented a model where they could shear their Haddon Rig General Manager Charlie Merino flock for wool and Blomfield (pictured) said their branded then also derive high value Merino is currently sold fresh or later as dry-aged sheepmeat dry-aged to restaurants, butchers products,” Renelle said. and foodservice outlets in NSW and Queensland. 43